As the story goes, Fats Waller was bundled into a car by armed men in 1926, driven to a Chicago party, and discovered he was the surprise gift for Al Capone's birthday. He played for three days and left with his pockets full of hundred-dollar bills.

Fats Waller (told by his son, Maurice)

MusicHistory

Why it matters

The idea in context

Waller was leaving a gig in Chicago when four men with guns pushed him into a car — he assumed he was about to die. Instead he was marched to a piano and told to play. The guest of honour, delighted, kept him there for three days on champagne and food, and the guests stuffed cash into his pockets as tips. The tale comes chiefly from his son Maurice's account rather than any police record, so historians file it as very probably true rather than proven. Either way, Waller was one of the great showmen of the age — 'Ain't Misbehavin'' is his — and he apparently went home a good deal richer than he expected to.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Anlatılana göre Fats Waller, 1926'da silahlı adamlarca bir arabaya tıkıldı, bir Chicago partisine götürüldü ve Al Capone'un doğum günü için sürpriz hediye olduğunu anladı. Üç gün çaldı ve cepleri yüz dolarlıklarla dolu ayrıldı.
Fats Waller (oğlu Maurice'in anlatımıyla)

Waller, Chicago'daki bir işten çıkarken silahlı dört adam onu bir arabaya itti — öleceğini sandı. Bunun yerine bir piyanonun başına götürülüp çalması söylendi. Keyiflenen onur konuğu onu üç gün şampanya ve yemekle orada tuttu; konuklar da bahşiş olarak ceplerine para tıkıştırdı. Öykü, herhangi bir polis kaydından çok oğlu Maurice'in anlatımına dayanır; bu yüzden tarihçiler onu kanıtlanmış değil, büyük olasılıkla doğru sayar. Her hâlükârda Waller çağın en büyük sahne adamlarındandı — 'Ain't Misbehavin'' onundur — ve anlaşılan eve umduğundan epeyce zengin döndü.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Background reading: Fats WallerAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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